Is it possible you accidentally set, within in your word processor, documents to print larger than 8ý"x11" (letter sized)? If so, maybe the printer is expecting larger paper from the manual slot? (And beeping when it doesn't find it?) If not, maybe go into "Printers and Faxes" (in Windows Control Panel), right click your Brother printer, select Properties and look through the settings for something such as "Paper Source"? And "Paper Size"? Just thinking what I'd probably do if it were me though, I'm not a tech.

My husband gave me my Xyron 850 for Christmas. I love it! At the time they were having a special... when purchasing the 850, you got the 500 sticker maker, free. (We gave the 500 to our daughter who is also into scrapbooking.) Otherwise I would have gone with the 1200, I think. I am a teacher and have used it for making books and materials for class. I don't know if it's the teacher in me and years of experience with using every inch of laminating, but I don't have much waste at all. Since it has a hand crank, you have great control over the speed in which materials go through the machine. You can place items close together to prevent the waste you were referring to. If you want tiny punches as stickers or laminated, put a whole sheet of paper through the machine and then punch your punches. My husband was also hesitant when I showed him the machine for the first time but now he sees how many uses I have for it and is glad he made the purchase.

You're starting a great hobby that should give you lots of enjoyment! Although I am just an amateur hobbyist, I will try to answer your questions: 1) You may mount your photos in a variety of ways. Mounting them on cardstock first is called "matting." You could also mount them directly onto the page. You can use glue stick or photo splits (little 2-sided stickers for the backs of photos) or you could use old-fashioned corner mounts. Most people use a variety of techniques. 2)You can print backgrounds with your computer. 3)Some inkjet ink is acid free, some is not. No one really knows how colorfast they are. 4)Color swatches are okay, but are probably not archival, so you might think twice about them. 5)Everyone is different, but when I do a page, I usually use these steps: Choose photos that are sharp, interesting, and thematically related. No amount of embellishment or paper crafting can compensate for poor photos. Examine the colors and mood of the photos and choose the colors of your papers and other page elements accordingly. Decide if you want a one-page or two-page spread. Set the paper out and start setting the photos on the page to determine placement. Fiddle around for awhile with this. Be sure you have a photo that will dominate the layout and become the focal point. Determine where journaling and page headings will be located. Decide if you are going to crop or edge any of the photos, then do so. Mat any photos that you decide need matting. Begin mounting photos onto page. Stare at the pages (which are bare except for the mounted photos) and decide what embellishments, like stickers or whatever, you need. You may decide not to put on the things you had initially set aside for these pages. Also, make a final decision on what kind of lettering you want to use. Do your lettering and journaling, leaving room for embellishments. Add embellishments last. Place sheet in protective sleeve. Whew!

I have splurged on cars. Our first Jaguar sedan was second-hand, then we bought new or nearly new sedans and an untitled XJS second-hand. DH replaced my Austin Healey 3000 that we sold as newlyweds. I'm agree with Minnie about living *below* one's means. I woke up one day and wondered why we were still living in our 'starter' house thirty years later! We'd saved TOO long! DH retired, and we built a new house in a nicer community -- more than an hour from the city, since he no longer had to commute. Our 'starter' and the neighborhood were fine, but...not AS fine. We're only sorry we didn't move sooner. I still delight in driving along the pretty road to our house, ten years on. I'm not sure what 'splurge' means to me. I'll never be the person who charges a vacation because she can't pay for it up front, but I am an advocate of living AT your means, not far below it 'just because'.